Melody
by souna no hime
Summary: Akane is about to go home but then Eisen's music and Tomomasa's words push her to realize something important. COMPLETE.


Melody

souna no miko

Disclaimer: Harukanaru Toki no Naka de is not mine...because if it did...*grin*

The young flute master stood out of his room as the evening breeze rushed to his face, his purple hair dancing in the wind. He carefully tucked stray strands of his hair behind his ear as he continued to look on to the night. He sighed heavily as he wondered about the girl he fancies.

"Master Eisen, the wind is colder tonight, do come in before you catch a cold." A servant called out to him after preparing his bed.

"Thank you but I'd like to stay here for awhile." Eisen replied with a smile.

"As you wish." The servant said as he bowed and left the room of the soft-spoken Hachiyou.

Eisen turns back to what he was looking at before his servant called him, the bright moon.

'I wonder what she's doing right now.' Eisen thought to himself. He entered his room and took his flute in hand. He smiles as he remembers the first day he played the flute for her, she was very happy to hear him play and her eyes showed it. He walked back outside and took one more look at the moon before playing a sad yet soothing melody.

Across the ancient buildings, the Dragon priestess sat in her room looking out of her window when she suddenly heard that beautiful and enchanting melody.

"He's playing again." Akane whispered.

She sat up straight and closed her eyes to feel the music fill her body and touch her soul. That night the Dragon priestess was able to sleep soundly.

The next day,

"Akane-chan you seem to be cheerful today, had another good night's sleep?" Shimon asked when he saw Akane walking down the palace hall with a bright big smile on her face.

"Good morning Shimon-san! Yeah, I guess I did." Akane replied happily.

"You've been getting lots of that lately Akane-chan." Inori added.

"Yes I know. I think it's because of Eisen-san's music."

"Eisen-san's music?" Inori inquired.

"Yeah. Every night he plays his flute and somehow I hear it and then I fall asleep so soundly that I wake up with a good mood every day."

"Looks like Eisen-san has been looking out for you very well." Shimon remarked.

"Yeah." Akane replied almost a whisper.

Soon the other Hachiyous with the exception of Eisen, Tomomasa and Takamichi, arrived and together they all set out to have a day of fun before the priestess, Shimon and Tenma return to their world.

The emperor called for Eisen, Tomomasa and Takamichi. Turns out, after three days, they were to leave to carry out messages and orders to the sub-leaders of each of the other three corners of Kyō. Eisen was to go north, Takamichi was to go south and Tomomasa was to go west.

"I wonder why the emperor sent the three of us. He knows very well that we are Hachiyous and our duty is to protect and help the priestess." Takamichi said as the three of them walked down the palace halls.

"True, but we still have our duties to our positions, and besides the priestess doesn't need us anymore...correct?" Tomomasa replied.

Takamichi nodded and continued,

"You're right, but I was wondering why he ordered Eisen as well?"

Both men glanced at the quiet monk who just kept his head low.

"Eisen, have you –"

Eisen lifted his head and smiled at Takamichi,

"Yes I have."

With that Eisen bowed in respect and hasten his pace leaving the two Byakko men in amazement.

Eisen walked back to his quarters and ordered his servants to leave him alone. He sat on the chair beside the window and looked out while resting his fair face on his left hand.

Back to the two Byakko boys,

"So he finally came back to the Imperial Family." Takamichi said as they continued to walk down the hall.

"It seems so. It is where he belongs anyway. He was born into the Imperial Family and there he should stay." Tomomasa replied.

"But he gave that up years ago. I wonder what made him go back?"

"I think I have an idea and I don't like it one bit."

"What do you mean?"

Tomomasa stopped walking and looked deeply into the eyes of his companion and said,

"He's given up."

That night, Akane got ready for bed and waited for Eisen's music to fill the night sky. She waited and waited but her favorite flute player never played his flute, until out of weariness she fell asleep.

The next day,

"Good morning Priestess."

"Oh, good morning Tomomasa-san."

"How was your sleep? You don't seem your lively self today, is there anything wrong?"

Akane shook her head lightly and asked,

"Tomomasa-san, do you know where was Eisen-san was last night?"

Tomomasa smiled and said,

"No priestess. Why?"

"Oh..nothing really..." Akane whispered.

"Priestess, if you'd permit me, may I ask you something?"

Akane looked up to the beautiful face of the Lieutenant of the Left Imperial Guard and replied,

"Yes, of course you may."

"To whom does your heart belong?"

Akane's eyes grew big in shock and replied,

"Wh—what?"

"Decide well and fast priestess, there is not much time. You are about to leave in a few days and if your heart belongs to someone in this place and time, then you'll never have the chance to tell him what you feel."

"To—tomomasa-san..I..."

"Listen to your heart and once again, do something that's not dictated to you by fate, by duty or by any other thing or person. You might lose the chance."

With that, Tomomasa bowed in respect and left Akane in a state of utter shock. Unknown to the both of them, a pair of eyes had been watching and listening to them in the shadows of the thick bushes. He smirked as he stood up to leave.

Three days have passed and Akane dismissed Tomomasa's question and Eisen had never played his flute. Akane was worried because she wanted so much to hear his music before they leave, but the day has come for them to finally return to where they have come from.

Princess Fuji, Sky Dog and all of the Hachiyous were present to bid goodbye to the priestess, Shimon and Tenma, all but one.

"Anou saa Yorihisa-san, where is Eisen-san?" Akane asked cautiously when she noticed that the other Genbu of Heaven is no where to be found.

Yorihisa asked for forgiveness and told Akane that he didn't know where Eisen is. Tomomasa then stepped in and said,

"I'm sorry priestess but perhaps he is preparing for his travel."

"Travel?"

"Yes. Eisen, Tomomasa and I were ordered by the emperor to go to the other three corners of Kyō. As a matter of fact we are just here to bid you farewell, we will be leaving the moment you are gone." Takamichi supported.

"I....I see..." Akane replied sadly.

"Tomomasa-san...Tell him...Tell Eisen-san....tell him that...."

"Yes priestess?" Tomomasa asked

"Tell him to take care of himself…always." Akane dismissed.

Tomomasa bowed in acknowledgement as the others started to bid the three of them goodbye.

Indeed, Eisen has already left the palace. Riding his horse, he went ahead of his other three companions. He stopped on a cliff overlooking the palace. He saw a ball of light at a spot where the palace's garden is and thought to himself,

'Goodbye to you my Akane...I hope that whoever it is that you choose to love will protect and love you more than I could ever do. I love you.'

He then took out his flute and played it one last time for the girl he had always loved.

Back at the palace, the gateway of time has been opened and Shimon, Tenma and Akane entered it together. While travelling through the tunnel of time, Tomomasa's words circled Akane's mind,

"Decide well and fast priestess, there is not much time. You are about to leave in a few days and if your heart belongs to someone in this place and time, then you'll never have the chance to tell him what you feel."

"...you'll never have the chance...."

"Listen to your heart....do something that wasn't dictated to you by fate, by duty or by any other thing or person..."

Then she heard Eisen's flute. She looked back at the tunnel's opening and remembered how Eisen treated her. How he protected her and made sure that she was safe and was in a good state. She remembered Eisen wanting to say something to her before he left to get the Genbu element of the north with Yasuaki-san.

Then she thought she heard Eisen's voice saying,

'Goodbye to you my Akane...I love you.'

That's when Akane realized everything. She released Tenma and Shimon's hands and turned back to the opening.

"Akane!" Shimon exclaimed as he reached out to Akane.

Tenma held Shimon by the shoulder and shook his head. Shimon softly nodded back and together, they followed Akane back to Kyō.

"Tomomasa-san!" Akane called out when she saw everybody leaving the area, which surprised all of them.

"Priestess??" Yorihisa exclaimed.

"I'm right here priestess." Tomomasa said stepping out beside Akane.

"Tomomasa-san....I...I..." Akane stuttered as tears started to form around her eyes.

Tenma and Shimon emerged from the gateway and looked at everybody then at Tomomasa.

"Tomomasa...you and your questions." Tenma said as he ran a hand through his orange locks.

Shimon smiled his sweetest smile and said,

"Tadaima.(I'm/We're home.)"

Akane looked at the two boys, smiled and nodded at them approvingly. She then turned to Tomomasa, wanting to ask him something but the older man pressed a finger on her lips saying,

"Say no more priestess."

Tomomasa raised his left hand and a servant appeared behind the bushes guiding a horse. Yasuaki stepped forward and said,

"That will take too much time. Sky dog."

"Yeah Yeah Yeah no need to order me around Yasuaki-teme!"

Sky dog turned to his normal size and grabbed Akane. Together they flew across the town and to the direction of Eisen's music.

Inori went to Yasuaki's side and asked,

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I mean...You like her too don't you?"

"Yes I do...but if her heart belongs to him then I shall be happy for them both. She has taught me to feel emotions...and that has already made all the difference in the world."

"I hear ya Yasuaki." Tenma commented.

"I feel the same." Takamichi added.

"We all do, right Yorihisa?" Tomomasa asked.

The samurai warrior merely nodded as they all looked at the horizon.

At the cliff, Eisen lowered his flute with a heavy sigh. He looked at the palace again and saw that the ball of light he saw earlier was finally gone; he knew that Akane was finally home. He slid his flute inside his clothes, reeled the horse to face the path he was to take to reach north, and that's when he saw her.

Sky Dog winked at Eisen and flew off back to the palace. Eisen dismounted his horse and approached Akane.

"Priestess...why are you..."

"You didn't say goodbye."

"I'm....I'm sorry.."

"You should be...I was already halfway home..." Akane paused for awhile, held Eisen's face with her right hand and continued, "Then I heard your music....and your voice."

"Priestess I..."

"You called me Akane...just Akane...._your_ Akane"

"..."

"I'm glad that you did Eisen."

Eisen, not able to control his feelings anymore, touched Akane's face and slowly brought their lips closer. The sunset became their backdrop as they shared their very first kiss.

"I love you." Eisen finally said after claiming the dragon priestess' lips.

"I love you too." Akane replied as she rested her head on Eisen's chest.

o0o

At the palace,

"So why did you come back Tenma? Shimon came back for Sefuru...and you can't be with Akane now that she's with Eisen... what's _your_ reason?"

Tenma looked back at Inori and smirked,

"Do you really want to know?"

That night, palace guards reported hearing moans and shouts from the orange haired Seiryū of Earth's quarters. The day after, Inori was walking limply while throwing glares and mumbling curses at Tenma who was grinning from ear to ear.

Owari.


End file.
